Lena Dunham's Vogue Cover and the Ridiculousness that Ensued

I am as big a fan as Lena Dunham as the next girl. I love that she embraces her realness, that she has an original voice that she isn't afraid to use. She is proud of her body and rocks whatever she wants to wear, critics be damned. The girl just landed a Vogue cover for the love of Pete! A Vogue cover, last time I checked, was not easy to come by. So to that, I say, "Major Congrats to Lena Dunham." While myself and many others were happy to congratulate her (from our laptops) on what is sure to be a feather in her cap, something she is proud of... there are others who wanted to bring her down. I am talking to you Jezebel.

ANNIE LEIBOVITZ/ VOGUE

When the February issue of Vogue was released, the increasingly more catty Jezebel offered a $10,000 bounty for anyone who could send their editors Lena's photographs, pre-photoshop... meaning, one of two things. They either wanted to show how much work Vogue does altering their models on photo shoots or they wanted to show how much photoshopping that Lena Dunham needed in order to look as stunning as she did in her Vogue spread. Since this whole thing seems very "mean girls", my vote is for the latter. It literally took less than 24 hours for the photos to be in Jezebel's hands, resulting in a post that breaks down exactly where each photo was altered... and you know what? They did retouch the photos but no more than I would expect happens on ANY photoshoot for the main publications. It makes the whole situation, to me, seem like a waste of Jezebel's money and what may be a hit to their reputation.

But what about Lena's feelings? She is a human being who has sensitivities and insecurities just like any one of us. How would you feel if you were put in this type of situation? I would probably angrily lash out or say something I might regret. I may not have handled it with as much grace as Lena did with her simple tweets on the matter.

Even though she rocks and appears to not let it bother her, you know it had to either hurt her feelings, piss her off or both. When she heard the Jezebel offer, there had to be an initial sting. What a crock of sh!t, that Jezebel thinks they had something amazing to prove when in all actuality, they really just proved that a lot of people really admire Lena Dunham and were ready to have her back. That being said, this isn't just a Jezebel/Vogue cover issue. This is something that she has had to endure since she came on the scene.

When you Google Lena Dunham, how irritating is it the third most popular search term is "Lena Dunham Weight". Who cares how much Lena Dunham weighs? Do you ask women in your normal life how much they weigh? And if you do, what kind of reaction do you normally receive? I am wagering that it is not a positive one.

The idea that our society is so engrossed in physical appearances, kinda makes me queasy. I know we don't wonder why so many girls are always complaining about their appearance, when they are perfectly gorgeous people (inside and out). I, myself, am guilty of fat shaming my own person, maybe if, let's say I had dessert... and I am pregnant for the love of Pete! What does that tell you? It tells you that we listen, at least in part, to what our society and the media tells us about what "looks good".

We are better than this. Lena has one thing right... don't engage if it's ridiculous. Mean and negative people do not warrant any reaction from you, whether you are a celebrity or a regular gal. Don't buy Lululemon yoga pants if your thighs rub together, refuse to support that Urban Outfitters shirt if you like to eat, and really, don't read nasty "news" articles if you know they are at someone's expense.